Push for stricter water standards in New York

Report faults state for slow rollout of new testing requirements

ALBANY — Environmentalists are pushing for a more rigorous protection of New York's drinking water following a new review of federal pollution data.

The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) released a report Tuesday highlighting the existence of potentially dangerous, unregulated contaminants in the state's water, including a dozen examples in the Capital Region. The report also faults state regulators for delaying the implementation of more expansive testing of public water systems.

"The bottom line is New York state has a lot more to do," said NYPRIG environmental policy director Liz Moran, who authored the report.

The report states that New York needs to develop tougher water quality standards, implement a stricter regimen of statewide testing and create a statewide database for drinking water information. The focus is primarily on unregulated chemicals that are believed to pose public health risks, but they're not subject to specific drinking water standards and their discharge into the environment isn't strictly policed.

NYPRIG environmental policy director Liz Moran makes the case for stricter water quality standards in New York during a press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 28 (David Lombardo / Times Union)

NYPRIG environmental policy director Liz Moran makes the case for stricter water quality standards in New York during a press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 28 (David Lombardo / Times Union)

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NYPRIG environmental policy director Liz Moran makes the case for stricter water quality standards in New York during a press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 28 (David Lombardo / Times Union)

NYPRIG environmental policy director Liz Moran makes the case for stricter water quality standards in New York during a press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 28 (David Lombardo / Times Union)

Push for stricter water standards in New York

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In 2017, state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo approved legislation closing a loophole in federal water testing requirements of unregulated contaminants, but the change hasn't been implemented because of non-compliance by the state Department of Health, according to the report.

NYPIRG is also calling on state lawmakers to approve legislation requiring testing of private household wells.

"Our analysis found that 6.4 million New Yorkers do not benefit from any emergent contaminant testing," Moran said. "Even with limited testing, millions of New Yorkers are drinking water that contains emerging contaminants that have the potential to put their health at risk."

In December, a state panel recommended adopted nation-leading limits on PFOA and PFOS, which were used for manufacturing, and 1,4 dioxane, which is a manufacturing byproduct. The standards haven't been implemented, though, as state regulators haven't begun the formal rule-making process.

And since the recommendations were made, Moran said, "more science has come out indicating the state might want to consider going with a lower drinking water standard."

In 2015, Hoosick Falls was found to have high PFOA levels in its drinking water, and similar contamination was later discovered in nearby Petersburgh and other communities. The discovery set off a broader examination of the contaminants in New York's drinking water.

The analysis of the federal data revealed at least one or more unregulated contaminants were detected in the water sources used by 16 million New Yorkers. The largest concentration of contaminants was found on Long Island.